The 2011 School Performance Framework scores are officially released.
Photo by Becca Hansen
On Friday September 23 the ratings of the 2011 SPF assessment, in which schools are judged based on a variety of criteria, were announced for all Denver Public Schools revealing that TJ is a “Green” school.
SPF is an acronym that means School Performance Framework. The SPF is an evaluation the Denver Public Schools uses to rate or appraise the schools within the DPS district. The assessment consists of a series of varying categories and subcategories in which schools have a certain amount of points possible and are given a color score for each one based on how many points are earned. “The SPF evaluation is important to TJ and all DPS schools because it’s the districts way of showing how we make progress as a school, almost like a report card. It also compares us to other similar schools in the district,” said Principal Sandra Just.
There are five different possible ratings a school can receive: blue (distinguished), green (meets expectations), yellow (accredited on watch), orange (accredited on priority watch), and red (accredited on probation). TJ’s “green” rating in simple terms means that TJ meets the districts expectations; on a more complicated level, TJ’s green rating is made up of a variety of blues, greens, yellows, and reds in various sub-categories. “The SPF assessment is a very detailed system that gives points based on nearly every aspect of the school in various subcategories, such as: student progress over time (growth), post-secondary readiness growth, student engagement, center-based program offerings, re-enrollment, and parent satisfaction,” said Assistant Principal Scott Lessard.
CSAP scores, ACT scores, graduation rates, attendance rates, and student grades in Center for Communication and Technology Magnet (CCTM) and Business Concurrent Enrollment classes all contribute to the school’s amount of points earned in these categories. TJ, being a very diverse school, faces both advantages and disadvantages in this system of assessment. “Students don’t realize it but they create the data the district uses for this evaluation every day. Things like students’ AP scores and attendance all affect the outcome of this assessment. One area TJ commonly sees lower scores in is categories containing growth. We are constantly trying to improve this category by helping students gauge where they are at now in classes with their test scores, and set goals for where they want to be,” said Just.
TJ’s scores from this year are slightly higher from last year, but show fairly the same data and draw the same green rating. “Our overall percentage of points is up a little from last year. Last year was slightly higher in growth areas than this year, but are fairly similar to this years scores. I am pleased with the scores from this year. It is certainly nice to be green,” said Just.
TJ saw another successful year earning many of its points in the student achievement level category, specifically in the subcategories comparing TJ’s CSAP scores with that of similar schools. The similar schools within the district TJ is compared to include East, George Washington, Denver School of the Arts, and Denver School of Science and Technology. TJ also was accredited for its CCTM and Business Concurrent Enrollment classes as well as from its large Special Education department. “These special programs certainly set us apart from the similar schools we are compared with. We get points for these programs in the Student Engagement category of the evaluation,” said Lessard.
To view complete SPF data and results visit http://communications.dpsk12.org/initiatives/school-performance-framework/
